Pleas to phone home after Glasgow tragedy

People who headed to Glasgow on Christmas shopping trips have been urged to let family known they are safe following the tragic accident in the city.

A number of people died and several others were injured when bin lorry lost control and ran into pedestrians.

A police officer at the scene of the bin lorry crash in Glasgow

Witnesses described bodies lying in the road after the accident which happened as the city centre was crowded with Christmas shoppers.

Police Scotland declared a major incident and confirmed there were a “number of fatalities”.

A statement said: “A Glasgow City Council bin lorry was travelling north on Queen Street when it appeared to strike pedestrians outside the Gallery of Modern Art (Goma) before continuing to travel towards George Square, when it crashed at the Millennium Hotel on Queen Street at George Square.”

Seven people were seriously injured and taken to three Glasgow hospitals, including the Southern General, the Western Infirmary and Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Call have since gone out to people shopping in the city to ensure their families know they weren’t caught up in the tragedy.